The Los Angeles Lakers will be short-handed on Friday evening when they take on the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com Arena. LeBron James will be out after hurting his elbow late in Thursday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets, and Deandre Ayton, who left Thursday’s game early with knee soreness, will also sit out. Backup big man Maxi Kleber will miss another game due to a back ailment.
After Friday’s matchup, the Lakers will have a big game on Sunday afternoon versus the New York Knicks. Before Friday’s game, coach JJ Redick said he believes James will be able to play on Sunday, and he also said Ayton and Kleber are day-to-day.
Ayton and Kleber will be needed against New York, as New York boasts Karl-Anthony Towns, one of the NBA’s better centers. Towns came into Friday averaging 19.7 points and 11.8 rebounds a game, and even when Ayton isn’t scoring points, he can help keep Towns off the boards.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick on whether LeBron James will return on Sunday versus Knicks
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
